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Political Science

Political Science is the traditional academic discipline for those interested in government, government service, politics, or the law. In our department many students consider themselves pre-law, others plan a career in politics or government, and some just like to talk about politics. We emphasize writing in all of our classes, as well as discussion, and many of us have an interest in what might be called the popular manifestations of politics-how politics is portrayed in music, film, literature, and television since we think it is important for citizens living in a mass society to recognize the political influences that surround them.

Political Science at Southern Miss has faculty from the Universities of Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, and Utah. We have a young and energetic faculty who will challenge you to think about politics and the political system while helping you develop skills that will be useful for you in a variety of settings. We teach courses across the breadth of the discipline, (law, theory, methods, public administration, international relations, comparative government and American politics) and many of us infuse our course materials with internet materials, film, television programming, and music. The department sponsors several student organizations including two pre-law societies, a political honor organization (Pi Sigma Alpha), and a politics discussion group (the Southern Miss Political Society). Finally the department has a number of small scholarships that we award annually.

Because political science is a liberal arts major, which educates rather than trains, our students find employment in a variety of places. USM political science graduates have gone to law school, graduate school, joined the Peace Corps, taken jobs in politics, government, and in the private sector.

For more information, contact the department at 601.266.4310. You may also email the director of the undergraduate political science program, Dr. Allan McBride at Allan.McBride@usm.edu.

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